March 27 – Five months ago, the city of Boston proudly announced the name of the newest expansion team in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), calling them “BOS Nation FC.” That lasted roughly 24 hours and now, after much discussion, the team’s new name “Boston Legacy Football Club” has been unveiled.
The “BOS Nation FC”, which was an anagram for the word “Bostonian”, went the way of the dodo after a marketing campaign was launched called “Too Many Balls”, which unsurprisingly went down like a lead balloon.
Jennifer Epstein, the majority owner, confirmed that a change was required following “honest and critical feedback” from fans.
Naming a new club always comes with a sense of excitement and foreboding, as you can’t please everyone, and Epstein must take credit for walking back a name that was accompanied with ridicule.
“Boston Legacy Football Club” is meant to evoke the city of Boston’s long history and “its importance as a hub of future innovation,” the club said.
The process for the new name involved a “quantitative analysis process” of fan feedback, with 1,500 supporters of the new club surveyed along with “brand professionals”, to narrow down 500 name suggestions to a short list of 14. One can only assume that the previous branding company responsible for “BOS Nation FC”, Colossus Creative, was not involved.
“Our name is just the beginning,” Epstein said. “It’s what we build together – through dedication, commitment and grit – that will give it life.
“We aim for our values to reflect a city that breathes competition, passion and pride, and to pay tribute to those who paved the way before us, including the gamechangers who helped build previous women’s professional teams in Boston.
“We are also focused on the future, for the next generation of players and fans who will carry forward what we build today.”
Boston Legacy FC will begin playing in the NWSL next season.
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